Landscape artist of the year.

I really liked all of last nights pictures. Having said that all I can think of when I see collage’y type pictures is ‘dust and cobwebs’.

I love LAOTY and PAOTY but I never agree with the judges choices. They seem to be looking at it in a completely different way from me . I just like what I see and the experts look deeply at every mark and brush stroke . It’s usually the paintings I don’t like that they go into raptures over ?

I’ve loved the Canadian ones that I’ve seen. I lived in Toronto for a year and was hoping to see somewhere that I knew. I wasn’t that keen on the paintings last night and I found it very strange that one of the artists painted a landscape from his imagination and not what was in front of him! ?

I haven't seen the UK version of LAOTY, but have seen a few of the Canadian ones, not the whole series. Do enjoy it, but also feel some of the 'art lingo' is a bit over the top for me.

Love PAOTY; we get the UK version, a few seasons late. I don't recognize any of the celebrities, but enjoy the process and the results.

Reality TV with a bit of brain being used. Wish we could have more of this. Maybe as the UK series become more popular we will get more copycat versions. There was a florist competition, but it was way over the top for my enjoyment.

I saw that in the guide and thought I would take a look. Haven’t as yet. I have a friend in Canada - we’ve known each other since primary school and her cards always have a lot of trees in them.

It’s now morphed into Canadian LAOTY. I’m loving it. Loved all the paintings last night. And I can see why Bob Ross paints so many cabins and happy little trees and clouds. It’s probably a repeat but I haven’t seen it before!

I can't say I'm happy about the prize money for producing a painting for the National Trust. Is the NT paying for it? At a time when they are not surprisingly pleading poverty even more than usual it seems inappropriate.

I think the judges also base their choice on what the artists have said to them. We obviously don’t see all their conversations. They can also see the brush strokes and mark making which don’t show up too well on a tv screen. I met someone who had participated on Portrait Artist of the Year and he said that they are actually quite critical as they go round. They also invite people to apply again. He was invited to enter LAOTY while on Portrait.

Yes, not so good this week except for the one by the ex-headteacher, I did think that was good. Fascinating to watch as the pictures develop. The three judges do talk a load of old drivel, though. It is obvious that they are not looking for a straightforward landscape but for something different. Some of the artists don't seem to realise that. I just love those pods. I would like one in my garden.

They were insipid weren’t they. At least Claire’s had that splash of red. And the surrealist one had the little dog!

Oh dear - I was not hugely impressed with any of them this week.

I love landscapes by an artist called Nel Whatmore. She also does wonderful seascapes too. If you are interested you could look up her website.

Love it.

I grin at the description of splodges as “showing energy”

I've been waiting for this thread to come up.
I thought it was just me, I think sometimes some of the paintings are amazing but it's always the ones that look unfinished, show no likeness to the subject, be it landscape or portrait, or are just plain awful that the judges pick.
They also talk an awful lot of garbage, talk for the sake of talking, I don't understand them most of the time.
Stephen Mangan on the other hand, well, I just wish he'd stop trying to tame his wonderful hair.

I’ve loved him since his days starring in Green Wing. They’re an odd assortment of presenters but they work well together.

We like to watch the landscape one and agree the judges often go for the more abstract. One that won a couple of weeks ago would have been sure to make the National Trust , who are giving the prize commission , very worried. I do like the presenter Stephen , such a great sense of humour and easy on the eye!!!

It amazes me in the Portrait one , that many of the contestants paint from a photograph they have taken and not from the model sitting before them. Also they use grids. Very strange.

I so enjoy this programme and the portrait equivalent.

I liked the winner this time; but the large blue pond with perspective-free houses around was not great really!

The portrait artists programme just leaves me reeling that they can mostly produce a likeness - I think that is a real skill.

I know nothing about Art ..only what I like and to be honest some of these are no better than my 9 year old GD produces daily ..in half an hour.Mind you I think a portrait should be a likeness and they often put through paintings that have no resemblance to the sitter...

Last nights winner didn’t even look finished.

Yes, I did like the four seasons one. But I thought it was something that was impossible to do under the constraints of a time limited competition. The little watercolour of the building was exquisite. Maybe the winning painting looked better in the flesh. The wild card one was lovely.

No it's not just you. The wild card ( and some of the others not chosen) seemed much better than those produced by the 'gods in the pods'.
I think the judges talk absolute tripe on the whole, but I did like the 'four seasons pizza' description of one of the entries.

I don’t always agree with the judge’s choice either but am enjoying the series. Also watching the previous series plus Portrait of the Year. I only discovered Sky Arts on Ch 11 a few months ago. There are some really good programmes to watch although I’m confused with all the repeats throughout the week ?